Shadows Over Denerim
by seranna
Summary: The story expands on the War Table mission "Shadows Over Denerim". Alistair writes the Inquisition to request assistance in uncovering a Venatori plot in the Ferelden royal palace. The Inquisitor chose Leliana's proposal of sending an agent to subtly hunt down and eliminate the Venatori spies, except the convoying Inner Circle companions are anything but subtle.
1. Chapter 1

"Inquisitor, a letter for you from King Alistair."

Ellana Lavellan glanced up from her own half-read rift status report to study her diplomat's familiar dark olive face. Josephine stood on the other side of the war room, as she picked up yet another letter and began to scan it. She was carrying her usual tablet, though the candle is rarely used now that they're in the bright halls of Skyhold. The new war room is still an unfamiliar setting to Ellana. The room had too much light, stiff chilly breezes often brushed in from the snow-capped mountains outside, and the ceilings were so high that any odd raised voice would echo within the chamber. Somehow, in the Inquisition's very own castle, Lavellan missed the dark and damp of the Haven chantry, where she had learned to call home these past few months.

Josephine pulled the parchment from behind her tablet and pushed it across the table. With a sigh, Ellana picked up the surprisingly thick piece of parchment. The very top of the letter was stamped with a red seal that looked oddly like a dog. Ellana assumed it was the Ferelden royal family's seal. After her last encounter with the King of Ferelden at Redcliffe, she was not eager to read further beratement of her actions, especially after she had saved the town, a town of his kingdom no less, from becoming the seat of Venatori power.

The letter read,

Inquisitor,

First things first: an apology. I offered the rebel mages safe harbor in Ferelden only to have them drive my uncle out of his town, so I'll admit I wasn't in the best of moods when I first met you. I just wanted everyone out of Redcliffe, and didn't care who was responsible for what. Now I wish I'd done otherwise. Isn't that always the way? These cultists... Venatori, I think they're called? We have them in the royal palace, or so I'm told. Like rats -but with magic and nasty sneers. I don't know what they're up to, but I need to find them and drive them out. Since the Inquisition knows all about them, I'm hoping you'll help. Something something grateful something.

Wait... did you just write that? You scribes do this on purpose, don't you?

King Alistair Theirin

"Ha!" Ellana couldn't help but bark out a laugh, inadvertently drawing all of her advisors' attention. Leliana gazed at her coolly, revealing none of her thoughts. Josephine coughed a little, as if to hint that an outburst of laughter towards a foreign dignitary is poor manners. Cullen just frowned.

"Now he wants our help!" Ellana exclaimed towards her diplomat, who dropped all pretenses of working on the other missive.

"Yes, Inquisitor. That is indeed the intent of King Alistair's letter." Josephine confirmed patiently, as if walking a child through the first steps of courtly decorum.

"Josephine, he kicked me out of Redcliffe, even after I removed Alexius from right under his nose. No 'nice to meet you' or 'thank you'. Now he wants my help to remove the Venatori from his capital and makes jokes about it? The gall!"

"King Alistair is beloved in Ferelden, and he apologized for his behaviour in his letter. We are in no position to deny a request from any noble of influence, especially a reigning monarch." Josephine continued in the same even tone. Ellana scrunched up her face slightly in distaste.

"Let me see that." Leliana jumped in. Before Ellana realized, the spymaster had taken the letter out of her hands. Leliana's eyes darted across the letter, then she giggled slightly. "Alistair hasn't changed one bit."

Ellana glanced over at her spymaster. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Cullen's frown was now directed at Leliana. "The King of Ferelden is a friend of yours?"

"We traveled together briefly during the Fifth Blight with the Hero of Ferelden." She paused, walking back to her usual station at the war table. "For Alistair to be requesting help, things must be difficult in Denerim."

"Difficult? What do you mean, Leliana?" Cullen all but abandoned his own deployment schedules and engrossed himself in the conversation.

"While Alistair is not the most politically savvy ruler, he has maintained power in Ferelden for the past 10 years. He helped the country recover from the blight and fended off any Orlesians looking for a chance to recover their lost province. If he had the capability to eliminate this threat, he would not be reaching out to us."

Ellana could see where this was going. Her diplomat wanted to help, and her spymaster thought the situation tough. "So I take the big swords in, stab some Venatori baddies, gain the gratitude of the king, and then we go on our merry way?" It didn't sound like a bad idea, now that she had said it aloud. She'd never been to Denerim before, and how often did a person get the chance to foil a royal assassination?

"I believe we have more pressing matters to attend to, Inquisitor." To Ellana's surprise, it was Josephine who interjected. "Stopping Corypheus should still be our priority, and I believe it best to focus your attention on the Winter Palace."

"Josephine, I don't understand…" Ellana began.

"I have just the agent in mind for this." Leliana cut in, offering the alternative Ellana was going to inquire for. "Allow me to send her to Denerim to quietly hunt down the Venatori spies."

"Send forces to aid in the manhunt." Cullen proposed. "Not only should we help, but everyone should see us doing it."

"Cullen, that would lead to a spectacle. Denerim will appear weak for having spies in its ranks, and everyone will know it." Josephine argued.

Cullen opened his mouth to argue, but Ellana cut in. "So send in the agent then." The war room always went this way, in a three-way argument until the right balance was struck. They always seemed to reach the correct answer, but the process was exhausting.

"No," Josephine replied, deep in thought. "A lone agent won't be enough to show the Inquisition values Ferelden as a potential ally."

"Josi, eliminating the threat will be more valuable than any envoy, no?" Leliana had already started scribbling down a message, no doubt instructions for her agent. Josephine didn't look convinced, and began tapping her pen on her tablet as she mulled over the options.

"What if the Inquisition sent members of the Inquisitor's Inner Circle to assist with the task? The Inquisitor will not be distracted from stopping Corypheus directly, and we show Ferelden willingness to dedicate important resources to its aide." Josephine said carefully, after some consideration.

"They would provide back-up to Leliana's agent." Cullen added, seemingly pondering the proposal and agreeing with it. Leliana simply nodded. All three looked to Lavellan for the final nod.

Ellana shrugged. There's no arguing when these three were on the same side. "Now I need to figure out who to send."


	2. Chapter 2

Before the meeting ended, Ellana selected her team for the Ferelden mission. As their discussions drew to a close, she exited the war room and descended the steps of the main castle hall, purpose with every stride. Who better to hunt spies than a spy? While Leliana's spy would be more than capable, a second pair of trained eyes would certainly help, especially if the spy was trained to detect irregularities. Her spy enjoyed hanging out in Skyhold's tavern. When she stepped in, the familiar mixture of lute music and laughter, smell of ale and bread, and warmth of the crowd and the hearth filled her senses. A small smile curled around her mouth. She had loved the tavern back at Haven, and she was certainly learning to love the one at Skyhold.

She found the Iron Bull sitting in the back, lounging on a chair dwarfed by his size. Somehow in the odd way he slouched, he still looked very comfortable. As she approached, he greeted her with a boisterous "Boss! Get over here and have a drink!"

She couldn't help but smile at the enthusiasm. She dragged a chair over and sat down next to Bull, who was taking a merry gulp out of his flagon. "As much as I'd love to, Bull, I'm here on business."

"Oh?" He twisted his head slightly and glanced sideways at her, his cup now resting on his knee. "Where are we going this time?"

"Not we, you." Ellana clarified.

"Me?!" Bull barked with a laugh. "You're sending the Ben Hassrath out by himself? Aren't you afraid I'll sneak Inquisition secrets to Par Volen, boss? They would be very interested in detailed descriptions of the Inquisitor's finer features." He glanced her up and down, then winked suggestively.

Ellana was used to this dance by now. He flirted, she ignored. The large muscular man did not suit her taste, which leaned towards more refined mannerisms and delicate features. In addition, every time she thought about allowing the Qunari's advances, the hair on the back of her neck prickled with a sense of unsettlement. "How do you feel about Ferelden?"

"The country or the women?" He asked after taking another large gulp. "I prefer one over the other."

Ellana rolled her eyes. Sometimes it was impossible to have a real conversation with Bull without getting off-track. She decided the best course of action was to cut to the chase. "I would like you to go to Denerim to take care of a spy problem."

That got Bull's attention. He sat up straighter and turned his entire body towards Ellana. "What kind of spy problem?" His voice had a slight edge to it.

"The Venatori kind, right in the royal palace so I'm told. It'll be a small group. You and two others, in and out. Make contact, find the spies, and eliminate them. No noise, no fuss. You in?"

Bull looked pensive for a beat, then chuckled unreservedly. "Boss, you have the best jobs. Next, you'll tell me to go kill a dragon for its teeth."

"I'm assuming that's a yes."

"That's a hell yes!" Bull raised his flagon in a salute, then drained its remaining contents.

At that, Ellana smiled and stood up to leave. After all, she had to approach her second recruit, who might prove more difficult to convince. Before she could walk away, Bull also stood and slapped his large hand over her slight elven shoulder, almost knocking her off her feet.

"So," his voice was low and rumbly as he brought his mouth closer to her ear. "Want to tell me why you're not coming, boss?"

Ellana sighed, allowing her shoulders to slouch further under the weight of his hand. 'I've been ordered to learn how to dance.'"

As expected, Ellana found her Venatori expert perusing a section of the library. His fingers traced the embossed lettering along a book's spine as she approached. He stood in a dark alcove where the few lit candles induced quite a dramatic effect from the glistening metallic buckles adorning Dorian's outfit of the day. As Ellana got closer, she could hear the mage making disgruntled noises at the bookshelf.

"The Inquisition's collection of Tevinter literature is hopelessly lacking." He threw his hands up in a dramatic show of futility. "What kind of library does not have at least three editions of 'Reign of Dumat' by Archon Darinius?"

"Archon who now?" Ellana had a feeling her ignorance was going to encourage Dorian further into his exasperated state. She couldn't help but bait her Tevinter friend sometimes.

"Archon Darinius? The first Archon and founder of the Tevinter Imperium? United Tevinter and Qarinus under one rule?" Dorian's tone became increasingly exasperated at Ellana's blank stare. "You certainly aren't improving the reputation of Southerners as unlearned peasants."

Ellana stuck her tongue out at her mage friend in the brattiest manner possible, just short of blowing a raspberry. "How would you like to gather valuable Tevinter literature for the Inquisition, Oh Mighty Wise One?"

"Certainly!" To Ellana's annoyance, Dorian ignored the sarcasm in her voice completely. "I shall bolster your knowledge, and do it with unparalleled style. Give me access to your coffers and some time to reach some of my contacts in Minrathous. The Inquisition shall have the greatest collection outside of the Imperium itself." Dorian finished excitedly, already scrambling for a pen and parchment.

"Actually…" Ellana said sheepishly, almost guilty for having to put a damper on his enthusiasm. "I was hoping you could gather the collection while you travel to Denerim."

Dorian stopped in his tracks abruptly,. "Denerim?! How can I find Tevinter history in Denerim? That place smells of dogs! Have you seen their architecture? It's as if they had one palette to paint the city made of various shades of brown. Not to mention the fashion! No style, no flair, no je-ne-sais-quois. It's a city wrapped in blandness! A bit … like this drab you're wearing, actually."

He gestured up and down at the beige button-up shirt Ellana usually donned in Skyhold. Ellana looked down, biting her bottom lip slightly as she attempted to puzzle out why Dorian found this particular outfit offensive. The shirt was plain, yes, but it fit well and most comfortable. She twisted slightly to look down the side and the back. Perhaps the offending part of the article was where she couldn't see?

"Don't strain your pretty little head too hard." Dorian smirked patronizingly. "You're a lost cause with these things."

Ellana straightened up, blushing slightly. This was enough attention on her fashion choices for one day. As with Bull, she decided the best course of action was to cut to the chase. "So Denerim. I have it on good authority there's a Venatori plot at play, and it goes all the way to the royal palace."

Dorian's expression sobered at the mention of Venatori. "Oh? A Venatori plot in the Ferelden royal palace. I don't suppose their delightful ruler informed you of that after kicking us out of Redcliffe?"

"That's exactly what happened."

"Let me guess. You would like me to accompany you in a most dashing elimination of the Venatori spies, save the king's life in the process, and gain Ferelden's eternal gratitude? I certainly wouldn't mind the gratitude. Despite his rudeness, their king is not a bad looking chap. For a dog lord, that is."

Ellana was beginning to regret this plan. Dorian stood before her wearing an expression that seemed he was daydreaming about King Alistair's better features. Between this and Bull's inevitable flirtation with the whole royal palace, Ellana feared they would cause a diplomatic incident before the mission was over. She prayed to the gods that Leliana's agent was as good as her reputation claimed.

"So is that a yes?" Ellana said after some silence, interrupting whatever Dorian was mentally picturing.

Dorian shook his head slightly, as if to clear his thoughts. "Am I permitted to obtain more Tevene books for the library?"

"Within reason and Josephine sets your budget."

"Then yes. I shall go to Denerim."

"Good." Ellana heaved a mental sigh of relief. The next part was going to be tricky. She thought it would be best to get it over with quickly, like ripping off bandage dressing from a particularly nasty wound.

"By the way I'm not actually coming with you and your companions will be Bull and a spy of Leliana's. You meet at the gate tomorrow morning at sunrise to depart. Thanks Dorian! Bye!" She tried her best to not fumble on words as the sentence spilled out of her lips as fast as possible.

"Wait, what?" Ellana heard Dorian's shocked sputtering, but she had already spun around and was on the exit strategy stage of her plan. She had to make a quick exit, before Dorian blocked her escape and demanded an explanation. A quick scan of the tower showed down was faster than up. She leapt up onto the railing surrounding the inside of the tower's circular walkway and jumped down without missing a beat.

Ellana assumed that Dorian, along with others in the tower including some new mage recruits, leaned over the railing to observe the Inquisitor's daringly stupid feat. Her nimble rogue balance was the only saving grace that helped her stay on her feet as she landed on Solas's table. She was aiming for this conveniently placed piece of furnishing to minimize her fall distance. Unfortunately the landing caused a few sheets of paper to flutter about and a bottle of ink to tip over.

"Fenedhis!" She cursed under her breath as she quickly righted the ink jar and collected the paper into a neat stack back on the desk. As she hopped off, she saw Solas frowning at her slightly from the wall where he was painting. Ellana gave him a wide innocent smile and an enthusiastic wave before strolling out of the rotunda with all of the dignity she could muster.


End file.
